This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

I had the pleasure of speaking on agile project management at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14th. My talk was titled "Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company." It covered Scrum —including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework —with a focus on best practices and top factors in typical successful implementations.

Thank you to William Parris, PMICIE President, and Stacey Wong, PMICIE Vice President of Programs, for the invitation and thank you to everyone who attended the session. I enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.

Scott M. Graffius, the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will present a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public meeting of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire (PMICIE) Chapter on August 14, 2018. For more information, and to register for the event, visit here.★★★★★You're invited to:

This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, on speaking engagements related to agile/Scrum and other aspects of project management.

I'm pleased to present thought leadership on project, program, portfolio, and PMO management related topics of timely importance. I've delivered talks at private and public events in the United States and internationally. Examples of upcoming and past events follow.

Scheduled to present “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14, 2018.

Delivered a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018.

Spoke on agile project management at a public event of the Project Management Institute Los Angeles Chapter (PMI-LA) on July 25, 2017.

Delivered a talkon innovation and project management at a private event in London, England on February 9, 2017.

This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

Agile Scrum (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) helps teams deliver products and services in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. It has won 17 first place awards.

I've been proud to have Amazon as the exclusive channel for Agile Scrum. Last month I received an email from a bookstore who wanted to carry the publication and asked about ordering it for resale. And on Monday of this week, a different bookstore called and had the same question. However, under the exclusive arrangement, distribution was limited to Amazon, and the bookstores were not able to get Agile Scrum for resale. To make the book available to those sellers—and others—I transitioned it to Expanded Distribution.

Both the print and ebook formats of Agile Scrum will still be available at Amazon, just not exclusively. Expanded Distribution provides access to a larger audience through more online retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, and distributors. With the change, Agile Scrum is now available for order through the following channels (in addition to Amazon):

Bookstores and Online Retailers - available to online and offline retailers such as Barnes & Noble and to distributors such as Ingram and the National Association of College Stores, Inc. (NACSCORP).

CreateSpace Direct - available to certified resellers through the CreateSpace Direct wholesale website.

The move to Expanded Distribution was initiated on July 5. It can take up to six weeks for changes to take effect across the different channels and appear in related product information and reporting. Accordingly, Expanded Distribution should be in place by August 16.

Agile Scrum will still be offered in print and digital formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Contents include satisfaction survey examples, quizzes, tools, select resources, and more. Instructions on how to access the online bonus material are provided inside the publication (both the ebook and the paperback book).

This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

Thank you, Project Management Institute California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C), for inviting me to speak at your June 28 meetingon “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company.” The turnout was fantastic, and it was a pleasure and honor to speak with such an engaging audience.

Special thanks to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen — the technical editors on the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — for their involvement and participation.

Thanks to PMI-4C's Michael Peter and Robert Tucker for organizing and managing the event.

This is an overview and update on the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum helps the reader:

Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum

Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement

Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

This guide is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management.

It's for those who have not yet used Scrum

It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders

For those already using Scrum, the book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors to date include 17 first place awards from national and international competitions.

First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival

First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards

Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with that client was the inspiration for Scott's book for innovators, disruptors and entrepreneurs — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is a post about Scott's attendance at the 50th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Here are a few highlights.CES 2017 was a sort of a car show within a tech show. For example, there was Faraday Future’s FF91 — a 1,050 horsepower electric prototype with plenty of smart features. It is reported to go from 0 to 60 MPH in 2.39 seconds. Production is set to start in 2018.

Connected cars were a big trend. And the companies working behind the scenes — on features such as autonomous driving and voice-assist — shared the focus. Nvidia is working on technology that would enable cars to read your lips. Mobileye's cameras help cars get a sense of what is happening all around them.

Beyond cars, the Internet of Things (IoT) was present with connected products such as washing machines, coffee makers, and more. And there was coverage on wearables and VR.

Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will present “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a public meeting of the Project Management Institute California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) on September 13, 2018. His talk provides a vibrant and highly visual overview of Scrum, the most popular agile framework for the development and delivery of products and services. For more information and to register for the event, visit here.★★★★★You're invited to:

Scott M. Graffius, project management expert and author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will be speaking at Techstars Startup Week. He will be presenting "Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage." The talk will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 4, 2018, at The Box Riverside (also known as The Box Theater) in Riverside, CA. For more information and to register for the event, please visit https://ie.startupweek.co.Techstars Startup Week provides presentations, workshops, events, and mentoring sessions designed to inspire, educate, and advance startups and others in the local entrepreneurial community.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) was named one of the Notable 100 independently published books. The awards program is sponsored by Shelf Unbound, an international review magazine which connects readers with the best books from independent publishers. The contest was open to English-language works in digital and print formats from small press, academic press, and self-published authors. Editors of Shelf Unbound judged the entries, and the top hundred books are included in the Notable 100. The news is featured on page 90 of the April/May issue of Shelf Unbound magazine.

A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is presented below.

Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) was named one of the Notable 100 independently published books. The awards program is sponsored by Shelf Unbound, an international review magazine which connects readers with the best books from independent publishers. The contest was open to English-language works in digital and print formats from small press, academic press, and self-published authors. Editors of Shelf Unbound judged the entries, and the top hundred books are included in the Notable 100. The news is featured on page 90 of the April/May issue of Shelf Unbound magazine.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries.

About the Book

Agile Scrum is offered in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1533370242, $19.95 USD) and ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY, $4.95 USD) formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

An overview and update on Agile Scrum is provided below.★★★★★Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement―Which Supports Innovation and Drives Competitive AdvantageShifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries.

About the Book

Agile Scrum is offered in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1533370242, $19.95 USD) and ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY, $4.95 USD) formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The new book trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is live at https://vimeo.com/178858753 (and it can be played above). This new version highlights some editorial reviews, and it features fresh music and additional updates. The total run time is 1 minute.

Take a look at the results at the end of a sprint on a Scrum project. There are two scenarios.

As shown above, both have the same user stories with the same story points for each:

User story 1: 13 story points

User story 2: 8 story points

User story 3: 3 story points

User story 4: 5 story points

User story 5: 1 story point

User story 6: 3 story points

User story 7: 1 story point

A closer look at both of the scenarios follow.

Scenario A

Here are some details on A:

User story 1: 70 hours of work performed, 5 hours of work remaining

User story 2: 51 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the Definition of Done [DoD])

User story 3: 45 hours of work performed, 13 hours of work remaining

User story 4: 29 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 5: 3 hours of work performed, 2 hours of work remaining

User story 6: 30 hours of work performed, 17 hours of work remaining

User story 7: 4 hours of work performed, 1 hour of work remaining

A is summarized as:

232 hours of work was performed, and 38 hours of work remains

2 user stories were done, and 5 user stories were not completed

Scenario B

Here are some details on B:

User story 1: 75 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 2: 51 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 3: 58 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 4: 29 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 5: 5 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)

User story 6: 14 hours of work performed, 33 hours of work remaining

User story 5: no work performed, and five hours of work remaining

B is summarized as:

232 hours of work was performed, and 38 hours of work remains

5 user stories were done, and 2 user stories were not completed

What CountsScrum requires teams to build an increment of functionality during every sprint. Only work meeting the Definition of Done (DoD) is counted as complete, demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and is potentially shippable.

There were two scenarios. Both had the same user stories with the same story points for each, and the same amount of work hours performed. Yet the outcomes were dramatically different. In A, 2 user stories were done--and are to be demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and are potentially shippable. In B, 5 user stories were done--and are to be demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and are potentially shippable. B is the better scenario.

A possible explanation for the differences between the two situations is that the Scrum team in B may have done a better job of limiting Work in Progress.

To learn more about agile/Scrum, check out the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. You're invited to visit the digital press kit, watch the trailer, and pick up a copy of the publication—it’s available in paperback and ebook—at Amazon.

On March 16, Literary Titan published their review of Agile Scrum—“The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully”—and they gave it five stars. On April 6, the program honored Agile Scrum with their Gold Award.

On March 16, Literary Titan published their review of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—“The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully”—and they gave it five stars.

Literary Titan periodically provides additional recognition for select works. Today, the program honored Agile Scrum with their Gold Award. Thank you to Literary Titan for the recognition. Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on Agile Scrum.

A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here.

Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. Traditional development and delivery frameworks are often ineffective. In contrast, Scrum is a value-driven agile approach which incorporates adjustments based on regular and repeated customer and stakeholder feedback. And Scrum's built-in rapid response to change leads to substantial benefits such as fast time-to-market, higher satisfaction, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Agile and Scrum were once the sole domain of software development. However, the benefits and results have not gone unnoticed by others. Practices are being adopted by additional departments and industries. Examples follow.

The State of Scrum Report(1) revealed that 21% of Scrum projects are run by departments outside of Technology such as Marketing, Finance, and Sales.

An article published in The New York Times(2) noted agile's use in diverse industries—with examples ranging from a museum in Sydney, Australia, to an automobile dealership in Maine.

A business brief(3) illustrated how varied businesses—including John Deere, NPR, and Mission Bell Winery—employed agile.

In summary, agile and Scrum are used broadly. For more information on agile/Scrum, pick up a copy of the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. For more information on the publication, and to connect:

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions took first place in the Technology category of the New Apple Awards last year. I'm grateful for the honor, and I'm thrilled that the program continues to feature the book. Today, New Apple published a new press release about the book—"Technology Guide 'Agile Scrum' Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards." You can see the story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/749081

Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen—the technical editors—for helping to make the book more clear, consistent, and valuable.

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™introduced Produce Planning Cards™ to help agile teams estimate work. An overview of the tool and the technique is provided in a video presented by Agile Scrum and Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™. It's available at https://vimeo.com/261680776, and it can be played below.

★★★★★"AGILE SCRUM: YOUR QUICK START GUIDE WITH STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS" BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS RECEIVES 5-STAR REVIEW FROM LITERARY TITANLos Angeles, CA — Literary Titan bestowed their highest rating of five stars to the business and technology book by Scott M. Graffius, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Literary Titan is an organization comprised of professional editors, writers, and professors; and they review English-language fiction and non-fiction works from around the world. Here's an excerpt from their review of Agile Scrum: "Unlike other books on the market, this one offers an informal look at Scrum without losing its practicality. The tone is conversational thus does not feel like a textbook, and it provides numerous examples and insight into real-world implementations of Scrum. I would recommend this to anyone looking to change their project management framework or work out knots in their current system. Scott M. Graffius delivers an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and instills the same in the reader."

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a technology leader, project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

About the Book

Agile Scrum is offered in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1533370242, $19.95 USD) and ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY, $4.95 USD) formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Note for Editors: Review copies of this award-winning book are available to credentialed journalists upon request. Visit bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

Agile/Scrum and traditional (waterfall) methods of development and delivery both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are significant distinctions. To help relate key differences, eight side-by-side comparisons were created. In alphabetical order, they are communications management, cost management, integration management, quality management, risk management, scope management, team management (some refer to this as human resources management), and time management. The comparisons were presented earlier via individual posts in this blog.

This article is a recap. It lists all of the comparisons and provides links to the respective posts where further details are available. Here they are:

The content includes excerpts from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Agile Scrum is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more information on the book, you can watch the trailer at https://vimeo.com/178858753, and visit AgileScrumGuide.com.

Complimentary review and examination copies of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions are available for members of the media and instructors.

Members of the media—those involved in broadcast, print or online media including writers, reporters, producers, and editors (managing editors, assignment editors, and planning editors): visit http://bit.ly/FOR_MEDIA

Instructors at an accredited university or college who wish to consider the publication for adoption: visit http://bit.ly/FOR_INSTRUCTORSAn overview and update on the book is provided below.★★★★★Project management expert, consultant, international speaker and author Scott M. Graffius has won another honor for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. The latest accolade comes from the 2018 Florida Book Festival, which named Agile Scrum the first place winner in the Business category.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps technical and non-technical teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Reactions to Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive.

"A superbly written and presented guide to team-based project management that is applicable across a broad range of businesses from consumer products to high-tech." - IndieBRAG

"A-type personalities (those inclined to avoid instruction manuals) and non-readers will rejoice upon discovering this guide which makes getting started with Agile Scrum a breeze."- Literary Classics Book Reviews

"A must-have for a project manager wanting to introduce Scrum to the organization."- PM World Journal

The book is for anyone involved or interested in the management of projects via Scrum, including those with no prior experience. It's also for those already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, technical architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

About the Author

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's award-winning book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

About the Book

Agile Scrum is offered in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1533370242, $19.95 USD) and ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY, $4.95 USD) formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

For more information on the author and the publication, visit AgileScrumGuide.com. ★★★★★You're invited to:

Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Los Angeles author Scott M. Graffius was named a finalist in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The United Kingdom-based contest is open to English language books from around the world which are self-published or published by small, independent or academic presses. Readers in London and Stockholm judged entries, and books rated as excellent are credited by the program.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps technical and non-technical teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive. Earlier honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions. Awards—along with reviews, photos, and more—are detailed at https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

About the AuthorScott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

About the BookAgile Scrum is offered in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1533370242, $19.95 USD) and ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY, $4.95 USD) formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

There's a widely-held view that agile development is new. But agile was used decades before it became well-known. For example, software was developed in half-day iterations in 1958 for Project Mercury, the United States' first human spaceflight program. And Harlan Mills of IBM promoted in 1968 that "software development should be done incrementally, in stages with continuous user participation and replanning."

While agile is not new, many innovators and visionaries have advanced principles and practices over time. Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage: A Timeline Infographic (located here) from Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ illustrates—via specific examples—how agile has progressively evolved.

This is an overview and update on the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs and effectively manage projects.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum helps the reader:

Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum

Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement

Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

This guide is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management.

It's for those who have not yet used Scrum

It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders

For those already using Scrum, the book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors to date include 16 first place awards in national and international competitions.

First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival

First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards

Agile/Scrum and other teams go through stages of development, and Bruce Tuckman established a popular framework on the subject. According to Tuckman, all phases—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning—are necessary for the team to grow, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results. This article provides a brief overview of the model, including descriptions and strategies for each phase.

1. Forming

Characteristics of Forming include questioning, socializing, displaying eagerness, focusing on group identity and purpose, and sticking to safe topics. Strategies for this phase include taking the 'lead,' providing clear expectations and consistent instructions, and quick response times.

2. Storming

Traits of Storming include resistance, lack of participation, conflict, competition, high emotions, and moving towards group norms. Strategies for this stage include normalizing matters and encouraging leadership.

3. Norming

Features of Norming include reconciliation, relief, lowered anxiety, members are engaged and supportive, and developing cohesion. Strategies for this phase include recognizing individual and group efforts, providing learning opportunities and feedback, and monitoring the 'energy' of the group.

4. Performing

Characteristics of Performing include demonstrations of interdependence, healthy system, ability to effectively produce as a team, and balance of task and process orientation. Strategies for this stage include celebrating, 'guide from the side' (minimal intervention), encouraging group decision-making and problem-solving, and providing opportunities to share learning across teams.

5. Adjourning

Traits of Adjourning include a shift to process orientation, sadness, and recognition of team and individual efforts. Strategies for this phase include recognizing change, providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations, and providing an opportunity for acknowledgments.

The accompanying illustration summarizes the above information—and it shows how performance fluctuates as groups move through each phase. This information may be helpful for looking at your team.

Thanks for reading! If you have not done so already, you're invited to connect via social to receive the latest news, tips and more on the professional practice of Scrum—and information on the book, Agile Scrum.

Scrum requires teams to build an increment of functionality during every sprint, and the increment must be potentially shippable because the Product Owner might decide to release it at the end of the sprint.

The product increment is the sum of all backlog items completed during the current sprint

Potentially shippable is defined by a state of confidence or readiness

Shipping is a business decision: Shipping may or may not occur at the end of the sprint (new functionality may be accumulated via multiple sprints before being shipped)

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ApproachThe product increment may or may not be marketable. However, a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach is sometimes used to help test marketable ideas. MVP is a product release strategy which can be used in Scrum (or another framework). The term was created by Frank Robinson, and popularized by Steve Blank, and Eric Ries.

The MVP has just those features (functional, reliable and usable) considered sufficient for it to be of value to customers, and allow for it to be shipped or sold to early adopters. Customer feedback will inform future development of the product.

Here are a few examples of then-startups use of an MVP:

Facebook: The first product (originally called Thefacebook) tested traction of students connecting with their college/class and posting messages. Other features—built on the initial success—came later.

Groupon: It launched with a WordPress site and PDFs emailed to early subscribers. The test proved successful, and the company subsequently built its voucher system and backend.

Spotify: The initial product was simple desktop app, tested in a closed beta. The MVP proved to be of interest to consumers, and more features followed.

This article includes excerpts from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in digital and print at Amazon. For additional information on the book, visit AgileScrumGuide.com.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by technology leader, project management expert, consultant, international speaker and author Scott M. Graffius won first place in Business at the 2018 Florida Book Festival. This is the sixteenth first place award for the book.

The competition was open to works from small, medium, large (including the Big Five), and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Judging was conducted by a panel of industry professionals, and placements were determined based on overall excellence. Winners will be honored at a gala on Saturday, February 24 in Orlando, Florida. Graffius is scheduled to attend and speak at the ceremony.

Agile Scrum is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

Scrum is the most popular agile project development and delivery framework. In Scrum, the product release backlog (sometimes referred to as the product backlog) is a list of features, user stories, bugs to be fixed, and/or other requirements. The Product Owner is the ultimate holder of the backlog. The Product Owner prioritizes items, and different methods can be employed to help accomplish that work. This brief article focuses on the technique of factoring business value and risk.

Each item in the product release backlog would be rated as either high or low in two dimensions: business value and risk. It is suggested that high business value, high-risk items are worked on first. While that may seem counterintuitive, the earlier this work is done, the sooner the team will move to mitigate the issues and unknowns—leading to a higher quality product. If there's a failure, it will occur early and relatively inexpensively.

An ordering of priorities is illustrated above, and it follows:

1. High business value, high risk.2. High business value, low risk.3. Low business value, low risk. 4. Low business value, high risk.

Alternatively, other prioritization methods—such as the MoSCoW ranking model— may be used. MoSCoW will be highlighted in a subsequent article.

This content is an abridged excerpt from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in digital and print at Amazon. For additional information on the book, visit AgileScrumGuide.com.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs and effectively manage projects.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum helps the reader:

Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum

Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement

Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

This guide is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management.

It's for those who have not yet used Scrum

It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders

For those already using Scrum, the book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors to date include 15 first place awards in national and international competitions.

First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival

First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™has Planning Cards as a tool to help agile teams estimate work. Excerpts of the information and instructions—which are included with each deck of the cards—follow. This article is for those interested in getting an overview.

About These Planning Cards

These cards are used to help estimate work

Each deck contains four sets of cards—enough for four estimators

Each of the four sets has a unique color on the front side of cards—it’s in either blue, green, orange, or yellow

Cards are based on the Fibonacci sequence, where every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding numbers

Each set includes cards with the following values: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, and "?"

Each deck comes in a storage case

Purpose

These cards and instructions support the most popular approach to estimating work in Scrum projects—estimating the complexity of work via story points.

The Development Team—which may be comprised of business analysts, coders, testers, etc.—collaboratively estimates each item in the product backlog in story points. Story points are a relative measure of complexity.

Participants

Product Owner

Development Team

Scrum Master (facilitator/observer)

Frequency

Once or twice per sprint

Time-box

One hour for each week of the sprint

It’s a common practice to limit each meeting to one hour and have multiple meetings as appropriate

Prerequisites/Inputs

Product backlog containing user stories, bugs, and other requirements

One set of planning cards for each member of the Development Team

Suggested Steps

1. If each member of the Development Team does not already have their own set of planning cards, the Scrum Master provides materials as needed

2. The Product Owner describes an item (a user story, bug, or other requirement) from the product backlog and mentions its intent and business value

3. Each member of the Development Team silently picks a card best representing their assessment of the complexity of the work and places the card face-down

4. After all of the Development Team members have made their selections, the cards are turned face-up, and the values are read aloud

5. If all of the selections have the same value, the Product Owner records it as the estimate, and that completes the exercise for the item; otherwise, proceed to the next step

6. Team member(s) who gave an outlier value —such as someone who gave a high value and/or someone who gave a low value—explain their reasoning

7. After a brief discussion, the team may take the most common value (the mode average) as the estimate or they may play another round of this planning game (steps 3-7)

8. Steps 2-7 are repeated until each item in the product backlog has been estimated

9. The Product Owner updates the product backlog with the estimate valuesOptions

Some organizations use a subset of the cards and slice product backlog items when the estimate is "too large." Here's an example:

Development Team uses cards with the following values: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21

Predetermined that 21 is "too large"

If a product backlog item is estimated at 21, it is sliced into two or more parts in collaboration with the Product Owner, and the resulting smaller items are estimated by the Development Team

★★★★★This article provided a quick overview of an aspect of estimation in agile projects. Further details—including more information on the Fibonacci sequence, and additional options—are provided in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Agile Scrum is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For additional information, visit AgileScrumGuide.com.

Online bonus material—containing an ever-growing list of supplemental content that comes free with the purchase of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—was updated today. Information on Agile/Scrum related blogs and podcasts were added to Select Resources. Instructions on how to access the online bonus material are provided inside both the ebook and the paperback book.

The Human Relations Indie Book Awards announced the results of its 2017 competition today, and Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions won the gold (first place) in the Workplace category.

The contest was open to English-language books in print from small, academic, and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Entries were assessed on presentation, organization, and content—including the human relations message conveyed. Publications judged as outstanding are credited with awards.

Including this new honor, Agile Scrum has received 15 first place awards from national and international competitions. Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.

Online bonus material—containing an ever-growing list of supplemental content that comes free with the purchase of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—was updated today. A new quiz was added to the list. Instructions on how to access the bonus material are provided inside the ebook and inside the paperback book.

The trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions was updated. Content in the Seen In and Honors sections were refreshed. The video is tight—the total run time remains 30 seconds. The video is above and at https://vimeo.com/178858753.

November 16 was an especially fortunate day for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. As noted in an earlier post, it won first place in the Technology category at the 2017 New York City Big Book Awards. The same day, the book took first place in Science & Technology at the 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards. The contest was open to English-language books in print from around the world from all presses including self-published authors. Books were rated on content, readability, and innovation by judges with expertise in the categories over which they presided. Exceptional books are honored with awards.

Including this new honor, the publication has received 14 first place awards from national and international competitions. Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius won first place in the Technology category at the 2017 New York City Big Book Awards. The competition was open to books in print and audiobooks from all authors and presses. Contestants ranged from independent authors to works from publishing giants. Entries were rated on presentation, editorial quality, and audience appeal. Works judged as best of the best are honored with awards.

Including this honor, the publication has received 13 first place awards from national and international competitions. Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.

The updated 30-second trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is live at https://vimeo.com/178858753 (and can be played above). Changes to the trailer include the addition of a new award—first place in the Business Reference category at the 14th Annual Best Book Awards—and revised formatting.

The book is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, see the press kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The 14th Annual Best Book Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by project management expert, consultant and author Scott M. Graffius as the first place winner in the Business Reference category. The annual competition is open to English-language books from all authors and publishers. Over 2,000 contestants ranged from first-time, self-published authors to bestselling works from publishing giants including Wiley, McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, St. Martin's Press, Penguin Random House, and Hachette Book Group. A panel of publishing industry experts judged entries, and outstanding books are honored with awards. Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon.

In Scrum and other agile project frameworks, user stories often act as requirements. Each story represents a portion of business value that a team can deliver in an iteration. A common format is: “As a (role), I want (goal) so that I can (reason).” Here's an example: “As a customer, I want shopping cart functionality so that I can buy items online.” User stories are captured in the product release backlog. This short article focuses on techniques for gathering user stories.

The following methods can help the Product Owner gather material for user stories:

• Interviews: Ask a diverse group of users—or anticipated users if the product/service does not yet exist—open-ended questions containing "how" or "why." For example: "How would you pair this device with your iPhone?”

• Observation: Watch people using the product/service.

• Prototyping: Use tools such as sticky notes, PowerPoint, and wireframes to illustrate ideas, show preliminary versions of the product, and facilitate discussions.

• Workshops: This is a type of brainstorming where the group identifies as many user story ideas as possible. To support getting a high quantity of ideas, it is suggested that participants should not agree/disagree with or assess items during the workshop.

The above content includes excerpts from the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. It’s available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon and other retailers. The digital press kit for the book is located at agilescrumguide.com.

The 30-second book trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (https://vimeo.com/178858753) was updated. The “Featured In” portion incorporates mentions of award placement news on sites of ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates. For example, ABC 7 (WZVN TV) lists the results of the 2017 Book Excellence Awards—where Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions took first place in Technology—on their site.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors include 11 first place wins in national and international competitions. It’s available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

This (https://vimeo.com/238528947) is a “minisode” on technical debt. It’s a 60-second video version of an article on the same topic published earlier in this blog.

The content is an abridged excerpt from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To help explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as risk management, quality management, communications management, etc. The information is included in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Risk Management. This comparison is one from a series.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see AgileScrumGuide.com.

The review and examination copy programs were updated. It's now easier and quicker than ever for members of the media and instructors to request a paperback copy of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions provides those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management with an authoritative roadmap to easily and quickly implement Scrum, the most popular agile project management and delivery framework. It helps technology and business teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which drives competitive advantage.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. The Midwest Book Review wrote, “Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is an all-inclusive instruction guide that is impressively 'user-friendly' in tone, content, clarity, organization, and presentation.” Honors include 11 first place awards in national and international competitions. For press, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

This is a brief overview of digital transformation—including key steps, business benefits, and how agile can help deliver results quickly.

Digital transformation is about leveraging data and connectivity to change the way the business competes and adds value. Leaders who don’t seize this opportunity will see their organization's business value erode.

Digital transformation involves three key steps: 1. Convert data to insight. Collect, analyze and make sense of historical and real-time data.2. Impart insight to action. Leverage the insight as an action within a business process or other application.3. Convert action to outcome. Invent new or reinvent existing business processes or models, creating a stronger value proposition.

Digital transformation may yield one or more of the following benefits for businesses:1. Reach ROI sooner2. Better products/services3. Faster time-to-market4. Less waste5. More profit6. Protect/secure market share7. Improved competitive advantage

Digital transformation is about revolutionizing the way business is done, and an agile approach can help teams adapt and deliver value quickly. That supports innovation and succeeding in a rapidly evolving world.

For those interested in agile, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions provides an authoritative roadmap to easily and quickly implement Scrum, the most popular agile project management and delivery framework. It helps teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement―which drives competitive advantage. The book is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 Book Excellence Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius as the first place winner in the Technology category. Sponsored by Literary Excellence Incorporated and based in Canada, the competition is open to English-language books in print, e-books and audio books from all publishers including self-published authors. The international program judged entries on overall quality and appeal to the target audience, and outstanding works are honored with awards. Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

This is a brief introduction to technical debt—including top causes and how to avoid it.

Technical debt (also known as code debt and design debt) is a term used to describe the eventual consequences of a technical design or development choice made for a short-term benefit but with subsequent consequences. An example is writing suboptimal code to meet a deadline, knowing that the code will have to be rewritten later to make the software maintainable.

Technical debt may have one or more causes, such as:1. Time pressures2. Overly complex technical design3. Poor alignment to standards4. Lack of skill5. Suboptimal code6. Delayed refactoring7. Insufficient testing

Over time, those factors result in the accumulation of technical inefficiencies that need to be serviced in the future. Unchecked technical debt may make the software more expensive to change than to re-implement.

Technical debt can be avoided or minimized by not taking shortcuts, using simple designs, and refactoring continuously. When there’s technical debt, the team should make the items visible by registering entries in the product release backlog, where the matters will be evaluated and prioritized for resolution.

This content is an abridged excerpt from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

In IT, there's no substitute for experience. However, certifications remain a valuable tool for advancing one's career. CIO.com reports that 13 IT certifications emerged as the most valuable, and three of them are related to project management. Here's the list:

If you're interested in learning about the project management related certifications (CAPM, PMP and CSM), links follow. For information on the CAPM and PMP, visit the Project Management Institute. For information on the CSM, visit the Scrum Alliance.

Velocity is a simple but powerful method for measuring the rate at which Scrum teams deliver business value. To calculate velocity, simply add up the estimates (usually in story points) of the features, user stories, requirements or other backlog items completed in an iteration. Only work completed per the definition of done counts.

Velocity, ActualActual velocity is the sum of the team’s delivery of completed work during an iteration, usually measured in story points.

Example 1: A team completed work on three out of three stories in a sprint:

• Completed story “A” had 3 points• Completed story “B” had 5 points• Completed story “C” had 8 points

The sum of the three completed stories is 16, so the velocity is 16.

Example 2: A team completed work on two out of three stories in a sprint:

• Completed story “X” had 2 points• Completed story “Y” had 5 points• Incomplete story “Z” had 5 points

Only completed stories count. The sum of the two completed stories is 7, so the velocity is 7.

Velocity values may fluctuate from iteration to iteration, but the values often stabilize for teams after they’ve completed between three and six sprints.

Velocity, Planned

Planned velocity is the historical velocity for the team. It is sometimes called the estimated velocity or ideal velocity. If the team has not done any iterations before, there is no historical data, and planned velocity does not yet apply. If there is historical data, sum all the velocity values and divide by the number of iterations to obtain the mean average, and use that value as the planned velocity. Using a simple method like the preceding one is advised, especially when starting out with Agile Scrum. Some organizations use alternatives—such as a three-point moving average, trimmed mean average or the median average—for planned velocity.This content is an abridged excerpt from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

Complimentary softcover copies of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions are available to media outlets and instructors.

Review copies are available for members of broadcast, print or online media including writers, reporters, producers, and editors—managing editors, assignment editors, and planning editors. The review copy request form was simplified. It's located here.

Examination copies are available for instructors at an accredited university or college who wish to consider the publication for adoption. The examination copy request form was also simplified. It's located here.

Requests are subject to availability and approval.★★★★★You're invited to:

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To help explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, communications management, etc. The information is included in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Communications Management.

The updated, 30-second trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is shown above and it is available at https://vimeo.com/178858753.

Changes include two additional awards—First Place in the Business category at the 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival, and First Place in the Green/Conscious Business category at the 2017 Bookvana Awards. Those honors to covered in separate entries earlier in the blog.

Online bonus material—containing an ever-growing list of supplemental content that comes free with the purchase of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—was updated today. A new quiz was added to the list.

Instructions on how to access the bonus material are provided inside the ebook and inside the paperback book.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To help explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, integration management, etc. The information is included in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Integration Management.

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content will be posted separately.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To help explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, control management, etc. The information is included in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Scope Management.

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content will be posted separately.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback ($19.95 US) and ebook ($4.95 US) formats at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To best explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, control management, cost management, etc. The information is included in the appendix of the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Cost Management.

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content—comparisons on scope management, integration, etc.—will be posted separately.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius received recognition from the 2017 Global Ebook Awards. Graffius' ebook won the silver in the Technology category (and also the bronze in the Business category).

Established in 2011, the competition is open to English-language ebooks from all publishers including the Big Five—Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette—and self-published authors. Judging was conducted by librarians, professional critics and other industry professionals with experience in the category they evaluate. Ebooks were assessed on design, content, and overall appeal for the target audience. Awards shine a light on the best books available in digital format.Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 Bookvana Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius as the winner in the Green/Conscious Business category. The awards program honors publications that cultivate and elevate our business and personal lives. The competition is open to English-language books from small, medium, large, and independent presses as well as self-published authors. A panel of publishing industry experts judged entries, and outstanding books are celebrated with awards.Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius received recognition from the 2017 Global Ebook Awards. Graffius' ebook won the bronze in the Business category (and also the silver in the Technology category).

Established in 2011, the competition is open to English-language ebooks from all publishers including the Big Five—Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette—and self-published authors. Judging was conducted by librarians, professional critics and other industry professionals with experience in the category they evaluate. Ebooks were assessed on design, content, and overall appeal for the target audience. Awards shine a light on the best books available in digital format.Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To best explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, control management, time management, etc. The information is included in the appendix of the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Time Management.

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content—comparisons on scope management, communications management, etc.—will be posted subsequently.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The updated, 30-second trailer for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is shown above. Changes include the addition of the IndieBRAG award and a revision to the closing image.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructionsby Scott M. Graffius was awarded the Book Readers Appreciation Group (B.R.A.G.) Medallion for excellence in independent publishing. The indieBRAG program uses book clubs and individuals in the United States and around the world to evaluate works. Books judged as excellent receive the B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree designation.

On Saturday night, August 19, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association recognized author Scott M. Graffius at its 23rd Annual CIPA EVVY Awards in Denver, Colorado. Graffius was bestowed a silver medal in the Business category for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. CIPA is a nonprofit cooperative of authors, book publishers and industry professionals; and the EVVY awards program is named after CIPA founder, Evelyn Kaye. The competition is open to books in print, e-books and audio books from around the world. Entries were judged by a panel of literary agents, authors, editors, critics, and business leaders. Outstanding works are credited with awards. Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please visit agilescrumguide.com.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To best explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, control management, team management, etc. The information is included in the appendix of the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Quality Management.

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content—comparisons on scope management, communications management, etc.—will be posted subsequently.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

On Saturday night, August 5, the Florida Authors and Publishers Association presented its annual President’s Book Awards. FAPA bestowed a silver medal in the Business category to Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. FAPA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that is dedicated to providing the highest quality of information, resources, and professional development to members and others interested in the writing and publishing profession. Librarians, book industry professionals, and educators judged entries. Books demonstrating excellence in design, content and production were honored with awards.

"What are the similarities and differences between Scrum and waterfall?" That's a frequent question, and the answer follows. Scrum and waterfall methods both involve planning followed by forms of execution, monitoring and controlling. However, there are distinctions.

To best explain key differences, side-by-side comparisons were created on multiple areas such as scope management, quality management, control management, team management, etc. The information is included in the appendix of the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. An excerpt is provided here. This post is titled, Side-by-Side Comparisons of Agile Scrum and Waterfall Models: A Quick Look at Team Management. (Note: In project management, team management is sometimes referred to as HR management.)

The information is also shared simultaneously on Twitter (@AgileScrumGuide) and Facebook (AgileScrumGuide). This comparison is one from a series. Additional content—comparisons on scope management, quality management, etc.—will be posted subsequently.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 CIPA EVVY Book Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions a finalist in the Business category! CIPA (the Colorado Independent Publishers Association) will announce the award placement levels at their awards ceremony on Saturday, August 19 at the Forney Museum of Transportation in Denver, Colorado.

There’s more on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—including highlights of earlier awards—at agilescrumguide.com. The book is available in digital and print at Amazon.

The 2017 FAPA President's Book Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions a finalist in the Business category! FAPA (the Florida Authors and Publishers Association) will announce the award placement levels at their awards ceremony on Saturday, August 5 at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida.

There’s more on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—including highlights of earlier awards—at agilescrumguide.com. The book is available in digital and print at Amazon.

The 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius as the winner in the Business category. The annual competition is open to works from small, medium, large, and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Judging was conducted by a panel of industry professionals, and placements were determined based on overall excellence. Winners will be honored at a gala on August 18, 2017 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, home of the first Academy Awards ceremony. Graffius is scheduled to attend and speak at the gala.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, visit the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

I’m honored that BookWorks selected me as a Featured Author. I was named for my favorably reviewed and award-winning non-fiction title, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Established in 2010, BookWorks is an international online community for authors and publishing industry professionals.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 Literary Classics International Book Awards presented Scott M. Graffius with a silver medal in the Instructional category for his publication, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Literary Classics is dedicated to furthering excellence in literature. The judging committee was comprised of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, and illustration. Books of exceptional merit promoting vision, creativity, and learning are honored with awards.Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The PM World Journal wrote, “Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is a must-have for a project manager wanting to introduce Scrum to the organization.” I’m thankful for the excellent review.

Literary Classics wrote, “A-type personalities (those inclined to avoid instruction manuals) and non-readers will rejoice upon discovering this guide which makes getting started with Agile Scrum a breeze.” I’m thankful for the wonderful review.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 North American Book Awards presented Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions with the silver medal in the Business Leadership and Management category. The competition is open to works published in North America by small, medium, large, and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Each entry was evaluated by three judges with expertise in the corresponding genre, and books of outstanding merit are honored with awards.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, please see agilescrumguide.com.

The 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards named Scott M. Graffius' publication, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, as the winner in the Technology category. The prestigious awards program is open to English-language books in print from small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. The competition was judged by experts from all aspects of the book industry including writers, editors, and publishers. "We are proud to announce the winners and finalists whose books truly embody the excellence that this award was created to celebrate," said Ellen Reid, founder of the NIEA.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 Independent Press Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius as the winner in the Technology category. The competition is open to works from small, medium and large publishers including books issued by imprint brands (Bantam, Penguin Press, Doubleday, Scribner, Addison-Wesley, Viking, and Harper Business to name just a few) of the Big Five (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette). Works from independent presses and self-published authors are eligible as well. Entries were judged by publishing industry professionals, and awards credit books of exceptional merit.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

The 2016 New Apple Book Awards named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius as the first-place medalist winner in the Technology category. The annual competition is open to English-language publications from small presses and self-published authors. A panel of judges identified works of excellence, and the best of the best are honored with awards.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available at Amazon. For more on the book, see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards recognized author Scott M. Graffius' title, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, as the gold/first-place award winner in the Informational (Business) category. The competition is open to works from small, medium, large, and independent presses as well as self-published authors. The judging panel was comprised of industry professionals including authors, reviewers, editors, and literary publicists. Winners were selected based on multiple factors including book cover art, ability to engage the reader, layout and design, illustrations, editorial quality, and production excellence.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print formats at Amazon. For more on the book, see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.

The 2016 London Book Festival selected author Scott M. Graffius' publication, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, as the winner in the Business category. The competition honors the best of international publishing. It is open to works in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian from small, medium, large (including the Big Five — Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette), and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Judging was conducted by a panel of industry experts, and winners were determined based on overall excellence. Awards will be presented to winners in London, England on February 9, 2017. Graffius is scheduled to attend the awards ceremony.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

Scott M. Graffius was honored by the Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards. Graffius' title, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, was named Best Book in the Business category. The awards program assesses works from small and independent presses as well as self-published authors on content, quality, writing style, presentation, and cover design. Award winners were selected based on overall excellence.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

The 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards recognized Scott M. Graffius' book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, as a winner in the Technology category (and also the Business-General category). The competition was judged by experts from all aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, and copywriters.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available at Amazon. For more on the book, see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

The 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards recognized Scott M. Graffius' book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, as a winner in the Business-General category (and also the Technology category). The competition was judged by experts from all aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, and copywriters.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available at Amazon. For more on the book, visit agilescrumguide.com.

Thank you to the technical editors on the book, Chris Hare and Colin Giffen.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in digital and print at Amazon. For more on the book, see the digital media kit at agilescrumguide.com.★★★★★You're invited to:

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs and successfully manage projects.

I released Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions to provide those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management with an authoritative roadmap to easily and quickly implement Scrum, the most popular agile project management and delivery framework. It encompasses a powerful set of principles and practices that help teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement.

Scott M. Graffius, the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will speak at an upcoming event. He will deliver a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public meeting of the Project Management Institute California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018. For more information, and to register for the event, visit here.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions won first place in the Business category at the 2018 International Pacific Book Awards. A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is presented below.

★★★★★Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) won first place in the Business category of the 2018 International Pacific Book Awards. The annual program is sponsored by Pacific Book Review—a literary review outlet, and a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the National Education Association. The competition was open to English-language books in print, e-book, and audiobook formats worldwide. The judging panel included professionals with expertise in the categories over which they presided, as well as experts from the fields of editing, reviewing, and publishing. Books were evaluated on innovation, originality, and readability. Results will be announced to booksellers, publishers, public and academic librarians, wholesalers, distributors, and agents through the sponsor's site, Publishers Weekly, and additional outlets.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps technical and non-technical teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries.

About the Book

Agile Scrum is offered in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon. The paperback is available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ebook is for sale in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Specs are detailed at AgileScrumGuide.com.

Review copies of Agile Scrum are available to members of broadcast, print or online media. Visit bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

Scott M. Graffius, Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with that client was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

Agile Scrum won the silver medal in the Business/Finance category at the 2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards. A press release from Scott is located hereand the news is presented below as well.Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products at astounding speed with rapid adaptation to change and continuous improvement which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. The latest accolade comes from the 2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards (https://readersfavorite.com/2018-award-contest-winners.htm), which awarded Agile Scrum with the silver medal in the Business/Finance category. With thousands of entries ranging from New York Times bestsellers to works from first-time self-published authors, the program is one of the largest book competitions. Graffius will be presented with the silver medal on stage at a gala in Miami, Florida on Saturday, November 17, 2018.

About the Author

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, author, and international speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, a management consulting firm. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. For more information on Scott, visit http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, author, and international speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, a management consulting firm. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. For more information on the author, visit http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.

This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

I had the honor of speaking on agile project management at a dinner meeting of the Project Management Institute - California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) in Bakersfield last night. The presentation provided a highly visual overview of Scrum — including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework — with a focus on best practices and top factors typical in successful implementations.

Thank you to Fred Valenzano for the invitation and thank you to all of the PMI-CCVC members who attended the session. I enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.

The feedback was fantastic. For those not at the event: an example of a sticky note used to collect comments at the end of the meeting is shown (the example is a blank one — not filled out — for privacy). It's excellent to know "What Went Well?" Potential improvements, however, typically come from the other question: "What Would You Change?" (Additionally, attendees can provide feedback via an online survey.) All of the feedback is important, appreciated, and valued.

This is an update from Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a highly-engaged audience of startups and others in the entrepreneurial community at the Techstars Startup Week in the Inland Empire on Thursday, October 4th. My talk was on agile project management. It covered Scrum—including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework—with a focus on best practices and top factors in typical successful implementations. Benefits such as rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement were incorporated in the talk as well.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event. Special thanks to Steve Massa and all of the conference organizers, Michael Ring for managing the control booth/ops in the theater, andLara Phillips for the excellent photographs of the event.Here's the link to the home page for the Techstars Startup Week conference: https://ie.startupweek.co.

The Book Excellence Awards features Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, in a story. The article highlights factors contributing to the book's success — including credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the publication. You can check out the story at https://www.bookexcellenceawards.com/scott-graffius-success-story. ★★★★★You're invited to:

Scott M. Graffius, CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions and author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will be speaking at Project World * Business Analyst World Toronto 2019. He will be presenting best practices on agile project management, including tools and techniques which attendees will be able to immediately apply at work. Scott's talk will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. You can read more about it here: http://bit.ly/AGILE-1.

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. Scott is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to help them achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include improved responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, upgraded on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. For infographics and additional resources, visit http://Exceptional-PMO.com.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott’s book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. The publication has garnered 17 first place awards. Scott and his book have been featured in Yahoo Finance, the Dallas Business Journal, BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly, Innovation Management, and additional media outlets. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets. Scott regularly speaks at conferences and other events in the United States and internationally where he delights audiences with presentations on agile, traditional, and hybrid project, program, portfolio, and PMO management. He integrates and includes professional standards, best practices, and his first-hand experience with successful implementations. Scott uses everyday language and vibrant visuals to make complex topics clear and understandable, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use. His upcoming and past appearances are listed at http://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.Additional information is available at http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.

About Project World * Business Analyst World Toronto 2019

The conference—which appears stylized as ProjectWorld*BusinessAnalystWorld—is an educational and training event for project management and business analysis professionals. Thought leaders will arm attendees with new skills, tools, and techniques that can be immediately applied in the workplace. Over 30 expert speakers will present more than 40 interactive sessions, workshops, and keynotes. All sessions are Project Management Institute (PMI) and International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) accredited. Offering professional development units (PDUs) and continuing development units (CDUs) for each hour of learning, attendees can earn up to 26 credits over the four-day period. It will be held on May 27-30, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. The official hashtag is #PWBAWTOR19. The website for the conference is here: https://www.pmbaconferences.com/toronto.

This is an overview and update on the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their shifting business needs and successfully manage projects and innovate and prosper at astounding speed. With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum helps the reader:

Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum

Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement

Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

Agile Scrum has garnered 17 first place awards from national and international competitions.

First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards

First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival

First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards

Scott is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions (http://Exceptional-PMO.com), a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Graffius's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. It helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement -- which supports innovation while driving competitive advantage. The book has since garnered 17 first place awards. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at: https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

Graffius holds six professional certifications: Certified Scrum Professional, Certified ScrumMaster, Certified Scrum Product Owner, Project Management Professional, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and IT Service Management. He is a member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the IEEE Computer Society, the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, and the IEEE Consultants Network.

Graffius presents thought leadership on project, program, portfolio, and PMO management related topics of timely importance. He regularly speaks at private and public events in the United States and internationally.

Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, regularly speaks at conferences and other events in the United States and internationally where he delights audiences with presentations on agile, traditional, and hybrid project, program, portfolio, and PMO management. He integrates and includes professional standards, best practices, and his first-hand experience with successful implementations. Scott uses everyday language and vibrant visuals to make complex topics clear and understandable, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use. This article provides an overview of his priorspeakingengagements. The most recent event is shown first.

Scott spoke at Techstars Startup Week, where he presented "Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage" to an audience of startups and others in the entrepreneurial community on October 4, 2018.

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Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) on September 13, 2018.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎Scott facilitated an interactive workshop, “Retrospectives and Continuous Improvement in the Agile Scrum Framework,” at a private event in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 25, 2018.▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14, 2018.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎He was a guest speaker on agile project management at an event of the Project Management Institute Los Angeles Chapter (PMI-LA) on July 25, 2017.

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Scott gave an interactive talk on innovation and project management at a private meeting in London, England on February 9, 2017.

Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets. Additional information is available at: http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Graffius's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. It helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement -- which supports innovation while driving competitive advantage. The book has garnered 17 first place awards. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at: https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their shifting business needs and successfully manage projects and innovate and prosper at astounding speed. With clear and easy to follow how-to information, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum

Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement

Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

Copies of the book are available for members of the media and instructors.

Those in broadcast, print or online media can request a complimentary copy of the book here: http://bit.ly/FOR_MEDIA.

Instructors at an accredited university or college who wish to consider the publication for adoption can request a complimentary copy of the book here: http://bit.ly/FOR_INSTRUCTORS.

Requests are subject to availability, confirmation of information submitted, and approval.

About the Author

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, author, and international speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, a management consulting firm. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. For additional information on the author, visit http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.

Agile Scrum has garnered 17 first place awards from national and international competitions. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets. Additional information is available at: http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products at astounding speed with rapid adaptation to change and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. The book has garnered 17 first place awards.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.

Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive in today's marketplace. Traditional development and delivery frameworks are often ineffective. In contrast, Scrum is a value-driven agile approach which incorporates adjustments based on regular and repeated customer and stakeholder feedback. And Scrum's built-in rapid response to change leads to substantial benefits such as faster time-to-market, higher satisfaction, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Agile and Scrum were once the sole domain of technical software projects which includes video game development(1)(2)(3). However, the benefits and results have not gone unnoticed by others. Practices are being adopted by additional, non-technical departments and industries for their projects. Examples follow.

The State of Scrum Report(4) revealed that 21% of Scrum projects are run by departments outside of Technology such as Marketing, Finance, and Sales.

An article published in The New York Times(5) noted agile's use in diverse industries—with examples ranging from a museum in Sydney, Australia, to an automobile dealership in Maine.

A business brief(6) illustrated how varied businesses—including John Deere, NPR, and Mission Bell Winery—employed agile.

In summary, agile and Scrum are used broadly. It's for video game development as well as other technical and non-technical projects.

For more information on Scrum, pick up a copy of the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, at Amazon.

(3) Koutonen, J., & Leppänen, M. (2013). How Are Agile Methods and Practices Deployed in Video Game Development? A Survey into Finnish Game Studios. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-38314-4_10.(4) Scrum Alliance (2017). The State of Scrum Report. Westminster, CO: Scrum Alliance, Inc.(5) Hardy, Q. (2016, November 25). "The New Workplace is Agile, and Nonstop. Can You Keep Up?" The New York Times, page B1.

The review and examination copy program for Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions was updated. Members of the media and instructors can easily and quickly request a complimentary copy of the award-winning publication.

Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets. Additional information is available at: http://Exceptional-PMO.com/who_we_are/bio.About the Book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products at astounding speed with rapid adaptation to change and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. The book has garnered 17 first place awards.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.

Scott and Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions have been featured in Yahoo Finance, the Boston Herald, NBC WRAL, the Dallas Business Journal, the PM World Journal, BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly, Innovation Management, and additional media outlets.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott M. Graffius' Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. It helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. The publication has garnered 17 first place awards from national and international competitions. Graffius and his book have been featured in Yahoo Finance, the Boston Herald, the Dallas Business Journal, BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly, Innovation Management, and additional media outlets.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in ebook and paperback formats from several retailers, distributors, and partners. This article highlights the availability of the ebook via Amazon.

Channels: The paperback is available from Amazon in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; other online and offline bookstores and retailers; distributors including Ingram and NACSCORP; libraries and academic institutions through Baker & Taylor; and certified resellers through CreateSpace Direct wholesale. The ebook is for sale through Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and other channels.